Marie-Antoinette - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Marie Antoinette: Early Life Marie Antoinette, the 15th child of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and the powerful Habsburg empress Maria Theresa, was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1755–an age of great instability for European monarchies. In 1766, as a way to cement the relatively new alliance between the French and Habsburg thrones, Maria Theresa promised her young daughter’s hand in marriage to the future king Louis XVI of France. Four years later, Marie Antoinette and the dauphin were married by proxy in Vienna. (They were 15 and 16 years old, and they had never met.) On May 16, 1770, a lavish second wedding ceremony took place in the royal chapel at Versailles. More than 5,000 guests watched as the two teenagers were married. It was the beginning of Marie Antoinette’s life in the public eye. Did You Know? There is no evidence that Marie Antoinette ever said that starving peasants should “eat cake” if they had no bread.

In fact, the story of a fatuous noblewoman who said “Let them eat cake!” appears in the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions, which was written around 1766 (when Marie Antoinette was just 11 years old). Marie Antoinette: Life at Versailles Life as a public figure was not easy for Marie Antoinette. Her marriage was difficult and, as she had very few official duties, she spent most of her time socializing and indulging her extravagant tastes. (For example, she had a model farm built on the palace grounds so that she and her ladies-in-waiting could dress in elaborate costumes and pretend to be milkmaids and shepherdesses.) Widely circulated newspapers and inexpensive pamphlets poked fun at the queen’s profligate behavior and spread outlandish, even pornographic rumors about her. Before long, it had become fashionable to blame Marie Antoinette for all of France’s problems. Marie Antoinette: The French Revolution In fact, the nation’s difficulties were not the young queen’s fault.

Eighteenth-century colonial wars–particularly the American Revolution , in which the French had intervened on behalf of the colonists–had created a tremendous debt for the French state. The people who owned most of the property in France, such as the Catholic Church (the “First Estate”) and the nobility (the “Second Estate”), generally did not have to pay taxes on their wealth; ordinary people, on the other hand, felt squeezed by high taxes and resentful of the royal family’s conspicuous spending. Louis XVI and his advisers tried to impose a more representative system of taxation, but the nobility resisted. (The popular press blamed Marie Antoinette for this–she was known as “Madame Veto,” among other things–though she was far from the only wealthy person in France to defend the privileges of the aristocracy.) In 1789, representatives from all three estates (the clergy, the nobility and the common people) met at Versailles to come up with a plan for the reform of the French state, but noblemen and clergymen were still reluctant to give up their prerogatives.

The “Third Estate” delegates, inspired by Enlightenment ideas about personal liberty and civic equality, formed a “National Assembly” that placed government in the hands of French citizens for the first time. At the same time, conditions worsened for ordinary French people, and many became convinced that the monarchy and the nobility were conspiring against them. Marie Antoinette continued to be a convenient target for their rage. Cartoonists and pamphleteers depicted her as an “Austrian whore” doing everything she could to undermine the French nation. In October 1789, a mob of Parisian women protesting the high cost of bread and other goods marched to Versailles, dragged the entire royal family back to the city, and imprisoned them in the Tuileries. In June 1791, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette fled Paris and headed for the Austrian border–where, rumor had it, the queen’s brother, the Holy Roman Emperor, waited with troops ready to invade France, overthrow the revolutionary government and restore the power of the monarchy and the nobility. This incident, it seemed to many, was proof that the queen was not just a foreigner: She was a traitor.

Marie Antoinette: The Terror The royal family was returned to Paris and Louis XVI was restored to the throne. However, many revolutionaries began to argue that the most insidious enemies of the state were not the nobles but the monarchs themselves. In April 1792, partly as a way to test the loyalties of the king and queen, the Jacobin (radical revolutionary) government declared war on Austria. The French army was in a shambles and the war did not go well—a turn of events that many blamed on the foreign-born queen. In August, another mob stormed the Tuileries, overthrew the monarchy and locked the family in a tower. In September, revolutionaries began to massacre royalist prisoners by the thousands. One of Marie Antoinette’s best friends, the Princesse de Lamballe, was dismembered in the street, and revolutionaries paraded her head and body parts through Paris. In December, Louis XVI was put on trial for treason; in January, he was executed. The campaign against Marie Antoinette likewise grew stronger.

In July 1793, she lost custody of her young son, who was forced to accuse her of sexual abuse and incest before a Revolutionary tribunal. In October, she was convicted of treason and sent to the guillotine. She was 37 years old. Marie Antoinette: Legacy The story of revolution and resistance in 18th-century France is a complicated one, and no two historians tell the story the same way. However, it is clear that for the revolutionaries, Marie Antoinette’s significance was mainly, powerfully symbolic. She and the people around her seemed to represent everything that was wrong with the monarchy and the Second Estate: They appeared to be tone-deaf, out of touch, disloyal (along with her allegedly treasonous behavior, writers and pamphleteers frequently accused the queen of adultery) and self-interested. What Marie Antoinette was actually like was beside the point; the image of the queen was far more influential than the woman herself.

Tags 10 Things You May Not Know About Marie Antoinette - History in the Headlines 10 Things You May Not Know About Marie Antoinette October 16, 2013 By Christopher Klein Share this: 10 Things You May Not Know About Marie Antoinette Author 10 Things You May Not Know About Marie Antoinette URL Google On the morning of October 16, 1793, Henri Sanson entered the prison cell housing Marie Antoinette, the 37-year-old former queen of France who only hours before had been convicted of treason and sentenced to death. The red-hooded executioner sheared Marie Antoinette’s beloved locks to allow for a quick, clean cut of his guillotine blade. Moments after cutting her hair, Sanson cut off her head as a joyous crowd cheered, “Vive la nation!” More than 220 years after her execution, learn 10 surprising facts about Marie Antoinette. 1. Marie Antoinette was born an Austrian princess.

Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1755, Archduchess Marie Antoinette was the 15th and last child of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and the powerful Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa. 2. She was only 14 years old when she married the future Louis XVI. To seal the newfound alliance between longtime enemies Austria and France that had been forged by the Seven Years’ War, the Austrian monarchs offered the hand of their youngest daughter to the heir apparent to the French throne, Dauphin Louis-Auguste. On May 7, 1770, the 14-year-old royal bride was delivered to the French on an island in the middle of the Rhine River, and a grand procession escorted the archduchess to the Palace of Versailles. The day after Marie Antoinette met the 15-year-old future king of France, the two were wed in a lavish palace ceremony. 3. It took seven years for the future king and queen to consummate their marriage. Politics literally made strange bedfellows in the case of Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste.

Just hours after they first met, the young teenagers were escorted to the bridal chamber on their wedding night by the groom’s grandfather, King Louis XV. After the king blessed their bed, gave both a kiss and left the room to allow them to start work on producing a royal heir, nothing happened between the two relative strangers that night. Apparently, nothing happened for the next seven years either. The dauphin suffered from a painful medical condition that rendered him impotent, and the palace gossip soon circulated around Europe. Finally in 1777, Maria Theresa dispatched one of her sons, Emperor Joseph II, to Versailles to intervene, and the problem was rectified either because the now King Louis XVI underwent surgery to correct the problem or because, in the words of the emperor, the couple had been “two complete blunderers.” Within a year, Marie Antoinette bore the first of the couple’s four children. 4. Marie Antoinette was a teen idol. Unlike during her years as queen, Marie Antoinette captivated the French public in her early years in the country.

When the teenager made her initial appearance in the French capital, a crowd of 50,000 Parisians grew so uncontrollable that at least 30 people were trampled to death in the crush. 5. Her towering bouffant hairdo once sported a battleship replica. As Will Bashor details in his new book, “Marie Antoinette’s Head,” royal hairdresser Léonard Autié became one of the queen’s closest confidants as he concocted her gravity-defying hairdos, which rose nearly four feet high. Autié accessorized the queen’s fantastical poufs with feathers, trinkets and on one occasion even an enormous model of the French warship La Belle Poule to commemorate its sinking of a British frigate. 6. A fairy-tale village was built for her at Versailles. While peasants starved in villages throughout France, Marie Antoinette commissioned the construction of the Petit Hameau, a utopian hamlet with lakes, gardens, cottages, watermills and a farmhouse on the palace grounds. The queen and her ladies-in-waiting dressed up as peasants and pretended to be milkmaids and shepherdesses in their picturesque rural retreat.

Marie Antoinette’s elaborate spending on frivolities such as the Petit Hameau infuriated revolutionaries and earned her the moniker “Madame Deficit.” 7. Marie Antoinette never said “Let them eat cake.” When told that starving French peasants lacked any bread to eat, the queen is alleged to have callously declared, “Let them eat cake!” There is no evidence, however, that Marie Antoinette ever uttered that famous quip. The phrase used to encapsulate the out-of-touch and indifferent royals first appeared years before Marie Antoinette ever arrived in France in philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s description of Marie-Therese, the Spanish princess who married King Louis XIV in 1660. The remark was also ascribed to two aunts of Louis XVI before it was apocryphally tied to Marie Antoinette. 8. The trumped-up charges against Marie Antoinette included incest.

Nine months after the execution of the former King Louis XVI, a Revolutionary Tribunal tried the former queen on trumped-up crimes against the French republic that included high treason, sexual promiscuity and incestuous relations with her son Louis-Charles, who was forced to testify that his mother had molested him. After a two-day show trial, an all-male jury found the former queen guilty on all charges and unanimously condemned her to death. 9. She was buried in an unmarked grave and then exhumed. Following the execution of Marie Antoinette, her body was placed in a coffin and dumped into a common grave behind the Church of the Madeline. In 1815, after the Bourbon Restoration returned King Louis XVIII to the throne following the exile of Napoleon, he ordered the bodies of his older brother, Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette exhumed and given a proper burial alongside other French royals inside the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis. 10. A U.S. city is named in honor of Marie Antoinette.

When a group of American Revolution veterans founded the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory in 1788 at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, they wanted to honor France, which had been instrumental in assisting the patriots against the British. They named their new community—Marietta, Ohio—after the French queen and even sent her a letter offering the monarch a “public square” in the town. Tags Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI Relationship Profile By Sheri Stritof Updated February 10, 2016. Much has been written and portrayed about the marriage relationship of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. Here are historical facts about their lives together. Born: Marie Antoinette aka Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna aka Josephe Jeanne Marie Antoinette of the house of Habsburg-Lorraine: November 2, 1755 in Vienna, Austria at the Hofburg Palace. Louis XVI aka Louis-Auguste: August 23, 1754 at Versailles. Died: Marie Antoinette: Executed by the guillotine on October 16, 1793.

Marie Antoinette was just a couple weeks short of being 38 years old when she died. Louis XVI: Executed by the guillotine on January 21, 1793. The evening before he died, Louis had a final farewell dinner with Marie and their children. Ages at Wedding: Marie Antoinette was 14; Louis XVI was 15. Wedding Date: On April 19, 1770 Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste were married by proxy in the Augustine Church in Vienna. Marie Antoinette left for France two days later. She crossed the border into France on May 7, 1770. continue reading below our video 9 Signs He or She Might be Cheating on You? On May 16, 1770, their French wedding was held at Versailles in the Chapel Royal . Her wedding dress was decorated with diamonds and pearls. After a formal dinner and the blessing of their bed by the Archbishop of Reims, Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste were escorted to their bedroom.

They did not consummate their marriage until seven years later, August 1777, according to a letter she wrote to her mother on August 30, 1777. Children: Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI had four children: Marie Thérèse Charlotte: Born on Decmber 19, 1778 at Versailles. She lived in exile after the death of her family. Marie married her cousin Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angouleme in 1799. She died from pneumonia on October 19, 1851 in Vienna, Austria. Marie Thérèse is buried at the Franciscan monastery in Kostanjevica, Slovenia. Louis Joseph Xavier Francois: Born on October 22, 1781. Died at the age of seven on June 4, 1789 of consumption which is known today as tuberculosis. Louis Charles aka Louis XVII: Born March 27, 1785. Died at the age of ten on June 8, 1795 while alone in prison. He had been brutalized as a prisoner.

Sophie Béatrix: Born in 1786, Sophie died as an infant just before turning one year old in 1787. Residences: Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI lived at Versailles in France. Marie spent a great deal of time with her children at her Petit Trianon which was a wedding gift from her husband. Occupations: Marie Antoinette: Queen of France. Marie Antoinette was also the Archduchess of Austria. Louis XVI: On June 11, 1775, he was crowned King Louis XVI in Rheims at the cathedral. Quotes About the Marriage of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI: PBS on Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste living separate lives: "...

his filled with hunting, eating, and introspection, hers with dancing, nightlife, gambling, and fashion." Source: PBS.org Marie Thérèse Charlotte about Marie Antoinette after Louis XVI's death: "She no longer had any hope left in her heart or distinguished between life and death." Experts.about.com PBS about Louis XVI: "Louis XVI was the first French king in two hundred years not to have a royal mistress." Source: PBS.org Explanation of the role Louis and Marie's marriage played in the French Revolution: "The marriage that for some seven years was no marriage cannot be exaggerated as an essential cause of the defamation of the queen's character. Louis' long delay in consummating the marriage not only became a subject of grave concern for those interested in the continuity of the dynasty but forever fixed the image of the king and his wife in the public mind. Spied on incessantly within the chateau, the couple became the butt of all manner of ribald humor within and later without the court ... the very faithfulness, indeed the uxoriousness [submissiveness], of Louis XVI, which made him a cuckold and dolt in the public mind, placed Marie Antoinette in an even more vulnerable position.

Lacking in virility, he was seen as unable to dominate his consort. Subject to her sway, his rule was corrupted by feminine Power." Source: The Historian. Summer 1993. v55 n4 p709(16). Books About Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI: Marie Antoinette: The Journey heroinesofhistory - Marie Antoinette heroinesofhistory Scandalous, Extravagant and Controversial Queen of FranceBy Tessa H Introduction: Marie Antoinette was born on November 2, 1755 as the ninth daughter to Maria Therese of Austria and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. She married Louis Auguste in 1770. In 1774, her husband became king however by this time she had withdrawn with the restraints of French court etiquette. During this time she became involved in high fashion, spending large amounts of money on clothing upsetting nobles as France was in a terrible financial state. Family Background: Marie Antoinette was the ninth daughter out of fifteen children in her family. Her parents were Maria Therese of Austria and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I.

Marie Antoinette's mother was Maria Therese of Austria who was born in 1717. Through her life she was the archduchess of Austria and the Holy Roman Empress as well as Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. Maria Therese's father was Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. Marie Antoinette's father was Holy Roman Emperor Francis I who was born in 1708. Francis died in 1765 due to smallpox. Maria Therese died fifteen years later in 1780. Ancestors of Marie Antoinette Ancestors of Marie Antoinette Early Life: Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna was born on 2 November 1755 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Her childhood was simple and careless. She was never lonely and was encouraged to play games with non-royal children. She shared a strong friendship with her slightly older sister, Maria Carolina. Carolina once described her sister as someone she “loved extraordinarily”. Marie learned to play the harpsichord, spinet, clavichord and the harp.

She was also an excellent dancer, Horace Walpole once quoted Virgil as to her gait, saying, "vera incessu patuit dea" (she was in truth revealed to be a goddess by her step). She spent a lot of her time playing with dolls. After her thirteenth birthday she received numerous dolls wearing miniature versions of the ball gowns and afternoon dresses proposed for her. Maria Antonia had a poor education due to a lack of interest and willingness to contribute to her lessons. However, she enjoyed and excelled in her music endeavors. She learned Italian on top of French and German. As well as Austrian and French history. Her studies were more focused on religion and moral principals than academic subjects. All of Maria Antonia's education was from an Austrian perspective. This was evident when she became Queen in 1774. Career: Marie Antoinette was the only surviving daughter after the smallpox plague who was eligible to marry. This left her to enter the french marriage with Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France, making Marie Antoinette Dauphine of France. This marriage helped cement peace after the Seven Year's War between France and Austria.

She assumed the title of Queen of France and of Navarre when her husband became Louis XVI of France became king after the death of his Father Louis XV in May 1774. Marie Antoinette remained Queen until two years into the French Revolution when she was executed. The French Revolution: Before 1789, France was ruled by the absolute monarchy, with the kings and nobles and church in power only. This meant that the people had very little power and money. The working class citizens at this time were restless and looking for radical solutions. As the American Revolution had taken place, the people could see that they could have power rather than the king. There were numerous reasons that the French Revolution took place. King Louis XVI failed to deal with these problems, resulting in the French Revolution. These included: France was suffering in an enormous national financial crisis due to their involvement in the Seven Years War. A bad crop produced high priced bread, causing ordinary people to suffer from malnutrition and hunger. This fuelled hatred towards the rich nobles who could afford good food as well as big houses. The Roman Catholic Church, who owned most of the land in France, put a tax on crops.

Many of the people were against the total rule by royalty and nobility. As they saw the result of other countries that had an influence on the government they began to desire a revolution as well as freedom of religion. The people of France attacked Bastille prison on 14 July 1789. The Bastille was a symbol of power of the nobility and the rule of the king and it also contained weapons. By the afternoon seven prisoners had been released as the people had broken into the Bastille. Bernard de Launay, the Governor of the prison was killed and his head was put on a stick. Throughout the Revolution, Marie Antoinette planned to restore the power of the monarchy. In 1789 the royal family attempted to escape but were intercepted, taken back to Paris and held in prison. Whilst in prison, she acted with dignity and courage. At her death she still had pride and grace. Death: After the death of her husband in July 1793, Marie Antoinette’s son was forcibly taken from her. In September 1793 Marie Antoinette was separated from her daughter and sister in law.

Marie was transferred to Conciergerie prison where she was under twenty four hour guard in a confine and damp cell. In prison she lost a lot of weight and her eyesight began to fail. On October 14, faced trial where her own son was forced to testify that she abused him. The queen replied to all charges and to this she said, “If I make no reply, it is because I cannot, I appeal to all mothers in this audience.” Marie was found guilty. On October 16 1793 Marie Antoinette was executed in front of large crowds. At noon her head was placed on the vice and the blade fell to loud cheers all round. Her bleeding head was held high for all to see. Later her head was throne in the cart between her legs. The body of Marie Antoinette was left on the grass before being dumped in an unmarked grave. Questions: 1. Marie Antoinette had two grandfathers. Look at her family tree to see who they were. 2. Why were her studies more focused on religion and moral principles rather than academic studies. 3. Why was the marriage of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette important? 4.

Why was the French revolution such a threat to the monarchy? 5. Why was Marie Antoinette taken to prison? Her Legacy: Marie Antoinette is well known in world history for her efforts in the French Revolution and as a controversial French Queen. As a foreigner she was easily targeted for numerous accusations including corruption, treason and illicit sexual behavior. Marie Antoinette lacked in popularity from the start and her life was often referred to as a scandal. The Diamond Necklace Affair fueled Frances hatred towards Marie Antoinette. Although the real events surrounding the diamond necklace are unknown it is believed that Cardinal de Rohan bought the Queen an extravagant and costly necklace, supposedly in return for sexual favors. This lead the public to dub her the 'Austrian Whore' and produced countless pamphlets spreading rumors about the Queen. Napoleon later stated the Affair was "The Queen's death must be dated from the Diamond Necklace Trial". Marie Antoinette is most well known for being in power when the French Revolution took place in 1789. She will be remembered the hatred that was targeted towards her. Her life was extremely controversial. She was accused for many illicit behavior, and was not given a fair trail because they did not respect her.

Her role as either a despised or respected Queen will be argued for many centuries. Time line: 2 November 1755: This is the date of Marie Antoinettes birth. 16 May 1770: At just 15 years old, Marie Antoinette married Dauphin Louis-Auguste a the Palace of Versailles. 11 June 1775: Marie Antoinette became Queen after the death King Louis XV in May 1774. 19 December 1778: Marie Antoinette gave birth to her first child, Marie-Therese Charlotte. Her other children were Louis Joseph Xavier Francois (22 October 1781), Louis Charles (27 March 1785), Sophie Helene Beatrice de France (9 July 1786-19 June 1787). 14 July 1789: On this day the people of France attacked the Bastille, which began the French Revolution. July 1789– November 1799: During these two dates the French revolution took place and ultimately overthrew the monarchy.

21 June 1791: The entire family attempted to escape, however were captured within 24hrs at Varennes and were taken back to Paris within a week. 1 August 1793: Marie Antoinette was taken to the Tower and entered into the Conciergerie as Prisoner No. 280. She was kept here until her trial. During this period she became very weak, started to lose her eyesight and lost a lot of weight. 21 January 1793: Louis was executed at the age of thirty-eight. 16 October 1793: After being trailed on 14 October, Marie Antoinette was sentenced to execution by guillotine. Map: Red: Marie Antoinette's birthplace, Hofburg Palace Vienna. Blue: Where Marie and the King lived in Green: With their two children, they tried to escape to here, Montemedy, however Orange: They only got to Varennes. They were then take back to Paris. Primary Sources: Source 1: This is a sketch of Marie Antoinette at her execution on October 16 1793.

It was painted by an artist who despised Marie Antoinette and painted this picture in reflection of his hatred towards her. This source reveals that state of Marie Antoinette at her final stage. This reveals to historians the last years of her life were stressful and difficult, resulting in her aged appearance. The French Revolution placed great strain on Marie Antoinette as interpreted by the artist in the drawing. The closed eyes reveal that she did not want to face the defeat and humiliation in front of the public. Her stance illustrates the pride she held and did not want to commit to her wrong doings. Source Two: "The Queen's death must be dated from the Diamond Necklace Trial". (Napoleon) This is a quote from Napoleon, stated after the Queens death. In the quote Napoleon is referring to the Diamond Necklace Affair, which raised much speculation and hatred toward the Queen. This source reveals that the Diamond Necklace Affair was a dramatic turning point for the Queen. After the Affair her popularity decreased dramatically. The Affair contributed to the downfall of the French Monarchy. This can reveal the Queens legacy as it provides and answer for how and where the Queen went wrong, and her contribution to the French Revolution.

Source Three: "Madame, you have fulfilled our wishes and those of France, you are the mother of Dauphin". (Louis XVI) This is a extract from King Louis XVI hunting journal after the birth of his first son. This source can reveal many aspects of the Queens life. As a quote from the King, it depicts a traditional and significant role for the Queen. However the reason for bearing children was as a result of the King malfunctions. This quote reveals the large amount of pressure put on the Queen from not only the Royal family, but France as well. Discussion: Through the past three sources, there are many perspectives shown. In the first source, the sketch is by an artist who did not agree with Marie Antoinette's actions and hated her for them. The sketch displays the Queen as arrogant old hag, grey and worn out. The second source is looking back at the Queen's actions and looking at the mistakes that she and were blamed for made during her reign. This perspective states that all the hatred and unpopularity she faced were due to having the blame of Diamond Necklace Affair forced upon her. The third perspective depicts the pressure placed upon her by husband to prove herself as a successful Queen.

The extract shows the acceptance she is given after bearing a son. Reading List: Goodwin, A. (1967). The French Revolution. London: Hutchison & Co LTD - This book is very informative and describes the French Revolution in detail. It is does not have a lot of Marie Antoinette, however it does describe the influence she had on the French Revolution. Grolier (1998). Encyclopedia of Knowledge. United States of America: Grolier Incorporated - This encyclopedia gives a brief overview of the Queen's life and her legacy. It is useful for an introduction to the Queens life and provides basic information about the Queen. Marie Antoinette Online. - This website provides a thorough description of the Queen's life and they significant events throughout it. This website is useful as it provides many useful links other informative website. This website is easy to read and provides many photos of the Queen. However this website is very long and is blocked on school websites. Marie Antoinette. - This website provides a brief, easy to read display of information. It provides links to other websites and has a list of recommended books. This website does not provide deep knowledge, rather provides a quick overview of Marie Antoinette's life.

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. - This website is very informative and detailed. The website provides pictures, timelines, and a brief biography of the Queens life. Top 5 Marie Antoinette Scandals. - This website gives a detailed insight to the five biggest scandals by and based around Marie Antoinette. This website is very informative, however it lacks in evidence and definite dates. Activities: 2. How many children did she have? 4. Who Marie Antoinette was married to? 6. Title used for the eldest son of a king of France, from 1349 to 1830. 7. Wife of Dauphin 8. True of False: Marie Antoinette once stated "Let them eat cake!" Down 1. What was stormed on July 14, 1789? 3. What took place between 1789 and 1799? French _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5. What was Marie Antoinette was executed by? 6. What resulted in names for Marie Antoinette such as 'Austrian Whore' and the production of numerous pamphlets?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Necklace Affair Fun Fact: Scramble: Unscramble the tiles to reveal the message. Cloze passage: The life of Marie Antoinette is oftern referred to as a ..................... As a foreigner her life as a Queen lacked in ...................... , and was hated by ......................... . The of pamphlets and futher spread of ....................... about the Queen were the result of the .......... .............. .............. . The ...................... was based around the belief that Cardinal de Rohan bought the ................. an necklace in return for sexual ................ . After the the public called her ............... such as 'Austrian Whore.' Word Bank: Marie Antoinette (1755 - 1793) - Find A Grave Memorial City of Paris �le-de-France, France French Monarch. Born Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, the fifteenth child and youngest daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and his wife Maria Theresa of Austria. Maria Antonia had little real education. She was flighty and read almost nothing. Maria was betrothed to the dauphin Louis, grandson of France's King Louis XV.

Maria Antonia left Vienna for France in April 1770, when she was fourteen. Marie refused to involve herself in politics in France, possibly because she lacked any real knowledge or interest in it. Louis XV died of smallpox May 10, 1774 and the new king, Louis XVI, and his queen Marie Antoinette ascended the throne. In December 1778 Marie gave birth to Marie Th�r�se Charlotte. The princess was followed by Louis Joseph in 1781, Louis Charles in 1785 and Sophie B�atrix in 1786. Marie became much less extravagant and was devoted to her children. She began to dress with more restraint and she refused to buy any more jewels for her personal collection. She was, however, fiercely criticised for building a small mock-village for herself at Versailles in 1786. Popular hatred against the queen accelerated rapidly after the Affair of the Diamond Necklace. In 1787, her youngest daughter, Sophie B�atrix died shortly before her first birthday. The queen was devastated.

Not long after, it was found that the Dauphin Louis-Jos�ph, was terminally ill with tuberculosis. The child's condition deteriorated and Marie spent most of her time nursing him during his last months. He died at the age of seven. Meanwhile, revolution exploded in Paris. After the Bastille fell to the mob many courtiers fled France, Marie hoped to escape also. Louis, however, decided that they would stay at Versailles. The queen refused to leave him. A mob from Paris marched on Versailles on October 5, Marie repeated her plea that they escape. The king refused. The royal family were forced to return with the mob to Paris. They were taken to the dilapidated Tuileries Palace. By 1791 the royal family decided to escape to a royalist stronghold in the east of France. Their flight was foiled at the town of Varennes and they were forced back to Paris by local republicans. On September 21, the National Convention abolished the monarchy. The royal family were then moved to the Temple Fortress and imprisoned. Louis was tried for treason on December 11. He was condemned to death on January 17.

He was allowed one last farewell supper with his family and was taken to the guillotine the next day. When Marie heard the crowds cheer his death, she collapsed. She never truly recovered from his death. She began to suffer from convulsions and fainting fits. She also lost her appetite and much weight. On July 3, 1793, commissioners arrived in the royal family's cell to remove the Dauphin from his family. He had been proclaimed Louis XVII by royalists factions and the republicans decided to hold the eight-year-old in solitary confinement. Marie shielded her son with her body, refusing to give him up. When the commissioners threatened to kill her if she did not hand the child over, she still refused. She held them off for two hours before she was forced to stand down to save the life of her daughter. She would never see him again. She was brought to trial on October 14. When she entered the courtroom, most people were shocked at her appearance. She was emaciated, prematurely aged, exhausted and care-worn. She was condemned to death on October 15. On the following morning a guard arrived to cut her hair and bind her hands.

She was forced into a cart and paraded through the streets of Paris for over an hour before reaching the guillotine. At 12:15 Marie Antoinette was executed and her head exhibited to a cheering crowd. Her body was then taken and dumped in an unmarked mass grave in the Rue d'Anjou. Royalists, who saw her as a martyr, later recovered her body and reburied it in the Bourbon crypt in Paris. (bio by: Iola) Marie Antoinette Exploring the palaces of Europe Marie Antoinette The later Queen of France Marie Antoinette was born as Maria Antonia in Austria on 2 November 1755. When she left her home in Vienna on April 21, 1770 for the last time, she had a journey of 23 days ahead of her. She was just 15 years old and had never met her fiancée, Louis Auguste, the Dauphin of France. He was only 16 years old at the time. Louis XV, Louis Auguste and other members of the royal family look at the portret of maria Antonia All he had seen of his wife to be is a portrait.

Here you can sse the presentation of Maria Antonia portrait at the court of Versailles. Both King Louis XV and his grandson, as well as the other members of the royal family are curious, and happy with what they see. King Louis XV is the one sitting down, Louis Auguste is the one to the left. Childhood of Marie Antoinette Archduchess Maria Antonia at the age of 12, painted by Martin van Meytens in 1767. But even if they would have been disappointed with the looks of Marie Antonia, this was not important since the marriage was necessary to improve the relations between France and Austria. Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna was born on 2 November 1755 as the youngest daughter of Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa. She was one of 16 children who grew up at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. She had a carefree childhood with her siblings with whom she was very close, especially with her sister Maria Carolina who was around the same age.

Marie Antoinette’s mother, the Empress Marie Theresia loved her children and treated them with affection, making it a habit to write them once a week after they left the Hofburg. Nevertheless she also used them in her political strategies to make allies throughout Europe, even against the wishes of some of the children. Her favourite daughter, Maria Christina, who was 13 years older than Maria Antonia, was the only one who was allowed to choose her own husband. The other children were send off to marry someone they had never met. This was the same for Maria Antonia, who left Austria at the age of 15, and would never come back or see her mother again. You might also like: First years of marriage The consumption of the marriage was in the interest of all members of court, since conceiving an heir to the French crown was of course the first and most important task of the young couple, especially after Louis XV died of smallpox in 1774. Louis XVI became King and Marie-Antoinette Queen of France, and they needed a successor. However, it would last 7 years before Marie-Antoinette got pregnant with her first child .

Count Axel von Fersen, one of Marie Antoinette's favorite guests, and probably her lover. Of course rumours where that Louis XVI was impotent and his wife was looking for affection with others, both male and female. The birth of their first child could not stop these rumours and would go on for the rest of Marie Antoinette’s life (and even after that). The most persistent rumour (and probably truth) was that of the affair with Count Axel von Fersen, a nobleman from Sweden. They first met in 1774 and would be in touch during the rest of Marie Antoinette's life. If the relationship was platonic or not is impossible to verify, but they were very close. Fersen was also very close to Louis XVI and he was the one who initiated the escape plan in the later life of the royal couple, when they fled Paris during the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette playing harp at one of her soirees at Versailles Palace. As producing an heir was the main task all eyes where on the young couple during these 7 years.

Empress Maria Theresa would write her daughter every week, making it clear to her what was expected and what problems it could cause if Marie Antoinette did not get pregnant. Even an annulment of the marriage could be the result. Marie-Antoinette tried to pass the time by shopping, partying and gambling, Louis XVI went hunting every day. Don’t forget they were only teenagers and they were very naïve. Only after a long visit of the Emperor Joseph II, the brother of Marie Antoinette, the problems in the marital bed were solved and the first pregnancy was a fact in 1778. The first child was a daughter, so the pressure to produce an heir continued. After a miscarriage in 1779 the long-awaited son was born on 22 October 1781. His name was Louis Joseph Xavier François, Dauphin of France. Birth of Louis Xavier Francois, Daupin of France As was custom at those days the birth took place in a room full of courtiers. It was important to have as many witnesses as possible so no one could claim the new-born baby was sneaked in the room somehow.

Sad to say the Empress Maria Theresia of Austria had died in 1780, so she was not able to witness this final triumph of her daughter. Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI had 4 children. Louis Joseph Xavier died at the age of 7, and his baby sister Marie Sophie only lived for eleven months. More about the Children of marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. The French revolution During her years at Versailles the popularity of the Austrian Princess declined rapidly. Due to the rising costs of financing the war in America and the unfair tax rules of France ( where church and nobility did not pay any taxes) the financial situation of France was deteriorating. The people were poor and the unpopularity of the king and queen was growing, leading to the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution on 14 July 1789. In Versailles court life continued as if nothing had changed, although more and more courtiers made their escape abroad whenever they had the change. (A beautiful book and movie about this strange and frightening period is Farewell, My Queen by Chantal Thomas).

Marie Antoinette was told to flee, but she did not want to leave her husband alone. Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and their Children listening to the angry mob outside Versailles Palace, October 6, 1789. Painted by Gyula Benczur On 5 October 1789 and angry mob of mostly women from Paris marched to Versailles Palace and tried to invade the royal appartments. Their goal was to kill Marie Antoinette. They did not succeed, but when things calmed down the did force the royal family to quit court life at Versailles and come to Paris. They were moved to the Tuilerien Palace where they would live under constant supervision until 13 August 1792. During their stay at the Tuilerien the power of the monarchy declined. Arrest of Louis XVI and his family in Varennes, 1791 On 21 June 1791 the royal family attempted to escape Paris. In the middle of the night they, one by one, sneaked out of their apartement and met at a carriage that was governed by Count Fersen.

The party consisted of the King and Queen, their two children, the dauphin's governess and the sister of the King Madame Élisabeth. They made it out of Paris, but due to various errors in the plan they were captured in the town of Vareness. They were taken back to Paris and locked into the Tuilerien again. Any credibility the King had until this atempt to escape would increase quickly. Marie Antoinette imprisoned at the Temple On 10 August the Tuilerien Palace was stormed by the enemies of the monarchy, and the Swiss guard was slaughtered. The royal family had fled to the Assembly. After this they were imprisoned in the Temple tower, were they would stay until their execution. Louis XVI was found guilty of treason and he was beheaded by the guillotine on 21 January 1793. On 3 July the little Dauphin was separated from the women in the tower, Marie Antoinette was not allowed to see him again. The Widow Capet as she was called after the dead of her husband was taken to the Conciergerie as Prisoner No. 280 on 1 August. She would spend the last six weeks of her life there.

She had to leave her children behind. Here you can read what became of them. Replica of Marie Antoinette's Cell at Conciergerie Paris Walking Tour - The French Revolution Her trial was even more a scam than the one her husband had, and she also was found guilty of numerous crimes as sending money to Austria, organising orgies in Versailles, plotting a foreign invasion and declaring her son the new King of France (while the monarchy was abolished). The worst of all accusations (especially for herself and her daughter and Sister in Law who were alive to witness these lies) were of incest with her son. Funerary monument of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI at the basilica of Saint-Denis On 16 October 1793 Marie Antoinette was beheaded at the place the la Revolution ( nowadays the Place the la Concorde). She was 37 years old. She was buried in an unnamed grave where they had also put the body and head of Louis XVI. After the restoration King Louis XVII exhumed the bodies and they found their final resting place in the necropolis of French Kings at the Basilica of St Denis .

You can find a funerary monument there dedicated to the royal couple which is slightly romanticized and does not really do justice to the truth if you compare it with other images of the couple. You can find the Basilica in Saint Denis, a suburb of Paris. Books and films regarding Marie Antoinette: I love these films on Marie Antoinette, especialle the one with Kirsten Dust. It is based on Antonia Fraser's biography, but the contemporary sountrack and the quick and beautifull scenes make it far easier to digest! Also a great book and movie is "Farewell, My Queen" where you can view court life through the eyes of the servant Sidonie Laborde, who is reader to the Queen. Gives another perspective on things!

Question: Marie Antoinette, the wife of King Louis XVI, was born in the Hofburg Palace in which city
Answer: Vienna